Fake Bonds
by Krispy Kream
Summary: Axel and Sora come together on one common ground. They both cannot have who they truly want. [AxelSora, implied AxelRoxas and RikuSora]
1. Pretend

Kingdom Hearts is (c) Square Enix and Disney

Fake Bonds: Part One

Pretend

Pairing: AxelSora (implied AxelRoxas and RikuSora)

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Sora glares at the black cloaked man with a wary and indignant look, emotions in a whirl of indecision and confusion. The enemy uniform makes him want to summon his key blade and start demanding answers, but somewhere inside him, Sora wants desperately to embrace the man as a trusted friend. It is a wholly unfounded desire that he doesn't understand or want at all, but still, it keeps him from attacking just yet. The red haired man does not look very sure of himself either, his expression swimming with uncertainty as if he can feel Sora's urge to strike. They simply stare at each other for a long moment, unmoving as the same thoughts circle around in their heads over and over.

Then, finally, the man opens his mouth to speak, only to close it right after. He apparently needs to rethink what to say.

Sora would have not supposed that the man was simply trying to remember his real name.

The man stares at his feet as a name floats in the back of Sora's mind somewhere, unbidden as his want of friendship with the owner of that name.

"Look…" Axel says, hardly able to keep his eyes on Sora's face. "You may not know it, but you have something I want, and I intend to have it."

"…Huh?" The statement is so horribly odd and startling that Sora can do nothing but stare blankly in response.

"Damnit, Roxas," Axel mumbles, and Sora somehow knows that wasn't for him to hear. He means to ask what Axel means, but is interrupted before he can even start. "What I'm saying," Axel looks on the verge of exasperation as his gaze shifts every which way again, "is that my best buddy is inside you and I wasn't done… being his buddy." In the midst of comprehending this, Sora manages to note that the color of Axel's face is starting to match the color of his hair. But that does not help him think of a reaction.

Axel stands a little straighter and begins to take slow steps toward Sora, a brief flash of determination that quickly fades back into uncertainty appears on his face. "Would you… Can I just…

"Pretend you're Roxas?"

Somehow, Sora manages to think that sounds like a rational request.

"I don't know how convincing I'll be."

"You don't have to do too much."

Axel stands inches from Sora now, and he rests his hands on his shoulders. Axel's speech and behavior become more relaxed and Sora feels himself comforted away from nervousness as well. "You can pretend I'm whoever you want me to be. That way it'll be a fair trade."

Before Sora can even expect Kairi to come to mind, Riku takes her place. He is confused at first, but easily pushes that away as he imagines that it would be difficult to compare two people with so different a physique. Riku is on his mind just as much as Kairi, anyway…

What surprises him more than Axel's lips pressing firmly against his own is that the idea of Riku doing the same is so unbearably appealing he can hardly stand to pretend. The thought of kissing Riku had never occurred to Sora before, and now he is almost afraid that it had long ago occurred to Riku.

It is not hard to imagine Axel is Riku if Sora closes his eyes, both of them have the same aggressive disposition and Sora finds that he falls easily into his arms. They behave as if they are the best of childhood friends, reunited after a long period of pining for each other's company.

And, in a way, that is exactly what they are.

Axel grips Sora's face, kissing him fervently over and over and Sora clings almost desperately to the fabric on Axel's back, constantly losing his grip and searching frantically for a new hold. He is afraid that losing his grip means falling away from that face and those lips that he cannot care are not Riku's. Axel's kisses are hard, wet and overwhelming and Sora tries to imitate those kisses though he is inexperienced, but all that matters is that Axel does not stop. All Sora can think about is his need to keep kissing Riku.

"Riku…!" Sora gasps between kisses and expects Axel to pull back and reprimand him.

What he does not recall, however, is that Axel has been calling Roxas' name the entire time.


	2. Attach

Kingdom Hearts is (c) Square Enix and Disney

Fake Bonds: Part Two

Attach

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It has all become such a common occurrence that Sora now becomes melancholy when he knows Axel is not around. It is not an attachment to the man himself, Sora tells himself, just an attachment to what he can do with him. Never mind that, on occasion, Sora forgets to see Riku's face and instead looks at Axel. It is more of a sign of gratitude than affection, really.

Sora is glad he isn't explaining this to anyone. He does not think he can make it sound convincing.

He hears the faint sounds of footsteps somewhere behind and rejoices at his ability to slip away unnoticed by his companions. As soon as he rounds the closest corner he finds Axel, smirking at him as he leans against the wall.

"Got my footsteps memorized or something?" he jokes.

"Nah, I just thought I heard someone who I needed to beat up so I came to investigate," Sora replies, the grin so prominent on his face that it was impossible to suppress it at all.

They waste no time, nerves and awkwardness have long ago been washed away by repetition. Axel is always gentle in the beginning, having overwhelmed Sora one too many times before. But in a way, Sora is always overwhelmed by the end, Axel's intentions and wants throw him off because he does not know what there is to want.

At least he is accustomed to it when Axel pushes him against the wall, hard.

Sora has recently been introduced to Axel's interest in feeling all over every part of Sora's body and Sora's inexperience leaves him wondering what the point of it is at all. Axel's wandering hands start to add Sora's hair to their travels and it surprises Sora, not because it is unheard of, but because he is sure his hair can not be similar to Roxas'. It is surprising for the same reason his own hands do not stray into Axel's hair; Axel's hair is so very different from Riku's that running his fingers through those red strands will only amplify his awareness that it is not Riku he is kissing.

His fingers snake up Axel's cheek-as far as they ever go on his face-as Axel's lips press and suck incessantly on his ear. Sora shivers when Axel breathes into his ear and it takes him a moment to realize that Axel is _speaking_ into his ear.

"Sora," Axel breathes over and over between kisses and bites. Sora freezes, though he is not stunned enough to suppress his shivers when Axel whispers his name into his ear. Isn't he supposed to be Roxas? Why is Axel calling his name instead?

Axel notices Sora's sudden lack of activity and pulls away slightly, keeping their faces close enough to touch.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly, but Sora is distracted by a strong desire for Axel to keep kissing him.

"Huh? Oh, uh," He tries to speak, but all he can think about is his disappointment that Axel's lips are not pressing against his yet.

In his silence, Axel plants a chaste kiss on Sora's lips and Sora has to physically stop himself from pulling Axel's face back and keeping it connected to his.

"You… called me Sora…" he finally manages to answer as if in a daze and Axel looks confused.

"Isn't that your name?"

"I thought I was pretending to be Roxas…" Axel looks taken aback. He can't seem to explain himself, but he tries anyway.

"I guess it started like that, but…" Sora starts to doubt if Axel even noticed what he said. "…Do you mind?" he asks after a moment. It is Sora's turn to be taken aback.

"I guess not," he answers. Axel shrugs and begins kissing him again, and that is all Sora can bring himself to care about anymore. Axel's fingers are immediately back in Sora's hair and his breaths are once again dedicated to calling out Sora's name.

Slowly, Sora reaches for Axel's face, brushing his fingers across Axel's cheek before lacing them in his hair. It feels nothing like how he imagines Riku's hair to feel. That is okay, though, because he does not want to be kissing Riku right now.

"Axel," he murmurs into the kiss, and he is rewarded with enthusiastic bites and touches all over his body.

Sora decides that kissing Axel is much more entertaining than kissing Riku.


	3. Decide

Kingdom Hearts is (c) Square Enix and Disney

This chapter is slightly AU from the end of the game.

Fake Bonds: Part Three

Decide

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Sora slouches against the white walls of the Place that Never Was. Seeing Riku again had reminded him of why he started kissing Axel in the fist place. But somehow, Sora isn't sure he wants to stop. He sits and pulls his knees up to his chest, mulling over his thoughts and feelings, unable to make himself truly sort out anything in his mind.

He looks up at the familiar sound of darkness appearing before him, almost dreading finding out who will come out of it.

Red hair. Sora sighs in relief and stands up, taking a few steps toward the man. Axel walks over to him quickly, immediately taking Sora's face in his hands and kissing him fiercely. Sora is surprised, but not enough to send him into a sputtering blob of confusion as before.

Axel seems… desperate. His kisses are sloppy and hard, his grip on Sora's face is strong and Sora can do nothing but slowly back them to the wall he was sitting against before. When they finally reach it he lets his hands venture to Axel's hair, trying to reassure him that he is still there and Axel doesn't have to be so possessive.

Not that it is a horribly bad thing, of course.

It is a long while before Axel lets up to catch his breath. The look in Axel's eyes are as desperate as his kisses. He attacks Sora's face with light kisses and Sora manages to fit in a question.

"Axel," he breaths, "What's wrong?" It takes a moment for Sora to get his answer as Axel kisses his way down his neck before resting his head on Sora's shoulder.

"It's nothing," he says. Then, sighing loudly, he continues, "Just… you don't need me anymore."

Sora cannot argue with that. But…

"Just because I don't need you… doesn't mean I don't… want you," Sora says slowly. Axel lifts his head to look at Sora. They stare at each other, searching for words until Axel decides there are none.

A slow and steady voice reaches them from across the room.

"So this is what you've really been up to…" Without thinking, Sora pushes Axel away to find Riku looking dejectedly away, anger mingling with disappointment clearly on his face. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Axel watching him. Sora feels like it is all a test.

…He hates taking tests.

"No, wait, Riku, it's not what you think!"

"What are you talking about?" Riku tries to say in his usual, confident tone, but his disappointment is beginning to show through in his voice. "It's not my business what you do with other people." He turns his back and Sora takes several hasty steps toward him.

"Riku…"

"Just… don't forget about Kairi too…" He starts to walk away and Sora calls after him.

"Wait Riku, I didn't forget about you!" Sora wishes he could turn to Axel and apologize before he continues. "I was thinking about you the whole time!"

Riku stops. Sora doesn't dare chase after him just yet, not while his heart is still tugging him back to Axel.

"That doesn't make any sense." Riku says and walks off.

Sora stands, fixed to the spot. He ever-present want to look over his shoulder at Axel and chase after Riku battling in his mind, keeping him frozen where he stands with indecision.

"Sora…" Axel called softly, freeing Sora from his trance.

"I lied!" he immediately bursts out, "I haven't been thinking of Riku at all!"

Axel laughs. "What does it matter who you were thinking about? I was the one who started pretending you were Roxas."

"But…" Sora mumbles, looking down at his feet. "Just because it started like that doesn't mean that's how it is now." Axel is slightly taken aback and Sora continues, his voice gaining confidence as he speaks. "You haven't thought of Roxas once since you first said my name."

"What? How would you know?"

Sora tries to laugh, "You're really loud when you get into something." It lacks a joking conviction he wishes it had.

Axel barks a laugh and takes Sora's chin in his fingers.

"Sora," he says, and kisses his cheek.

"Sora," he says again, softer and kisses his other cheek.

"Sora," he says again, softer still and kisses the edge of his mouth.

"Axel," Sora says, just as softly and Axel kisses his lips. It is a soft and short kiss, they are both silent for a moment and Sora keeps his eyes closed.

"Now go after him." Axel's voice sounds loud in his ears and Sora opens his eyes when he speaks.

"But…"

"Don't worry about me, I'm the one without a heart here." Sora doesn't move. It is too sad, leaving Axel to chase after Riku when he cares for both of them now.

"That's not true," Sora says at last, trying to smile through his grief. "You have a heart in there, it's what I like about you."

Without another glance back, Sora takes off after Riku. Axel stays where he is and watches him leave, speaking to himself though he knows Sora is not yet out of earshot.

"Heh, you can pretend he's me and I'll find someone who looks like Roxas to pretend he's you."

The faint knife of bitterness in Axel's tone flies straight to Sora's heart as he runs.


End file.
